Refreshment booth for motorists



June 19, 1923. 1,459,628

.1. K. HOCKADAY REFRESHMENT BOOTH FOR MOTORISTS Filed July 22, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JYOC/fQYQ Q' INVENTOR BY wayzafmo ATTORNEY WlTNESSr- Patented June 19, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN K. HOCKADAY, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO ROBERT A. EMOND, OF BIRMINGHAM,- ALABAMA.

BEFRESHMENT BOOTH FOR MOTORISTS.

Application filed July 22, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN K. HOCKADAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Refreshment Booths for Motorists, of which thefollowing is a specification.

One object of my present invention is the provision of a refreshment booth constructed with a view to meeting the convenience of motorists; the said booth embodying means for indicating to those in charge of the booth the arrival of an automobile and the stall occupied by the automobile, and also embodying means for indicating the automobiles from the-occupants of which orders have been taken.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a booth of the character indicated embodying such a construction that the supply of refreshments to the booth is facilitated, and the preparation of refreshment is delegated to those located in a chamber below the main floor of the booth and entirely out of sight of the patrons.

To the attainment of the foregoing, the invention consists in the improvement as hereinafter described and definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification Figure 1 is a front elevation of a booth constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is a detail longitudinal vertical section illustrating the inclined plane ex tending downwardly to the chamber below the main floor of the booth.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail section taken through one of the circuit closers in the plane indicated by the line 4.4 of Figure 2 Figure 5 is a detail section taken in the plane indicated by the line 55 of Figure 2 and illustrating one of the annunciators for indicating the automobiles from the occupants of which orders .have been taken.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

The main floor of my novel booth is designated by 1, and the side walls thereof are designated 2 while the end walls are designated 3 and 4, respectively. The said walls 2. 3

Serial No. 486,758.

and 4 are illustrated as provided with doors 5, and in this connection I will have it un derstood that the said doors 5 may be of any desired type without affecting my invention.

Located in the central portion of the main floor 1 is an enclosure 6 designed to be occupied by those whose province it will be to dispense refreshments. Arranged to deliver to the said enclosure 6'are one or more .(preferably two) dumb waiters 7 which extend between the enclosure 6 and a chamber or room 8 .located below the main floor 1. In front of the front wall 3 of the booth I provide a porch 9, and in this connection it will be understood thatin the preferred embodiment of the invention the roof 10 of the booth is extended at its forward end over the porch 9. In the rear portion of the booth and on the main floor 1 thereof is arranged a ladies retiring room 11 which when desired may be equipped with toilet appurtenances indicated by 12. As shown in Figure 2 a plurality of tables 13 and chairs 14:

are designed to be arranged on the main floor 1 about the enclosure 6. At one end of the enclosure 6 Within the booth I provide a plurality of annunciators 15. These annunciators 15 may be of any construction compatible with the purpose of my invention without involving departure from the scope of the same as claimed.

Surrounding the booth characterized as described is a platform 16. The sand platis partly surrounded Qby an appropriate fence 18, and its entrance is designated by 19 and its exit is designated by 20. In this connection it will be noticed that the cash-' iers cage 21 is located in the forward corner of the booth adjacent to the said exit '20 sq that the cashier is enabled to readily observe theautomobiles as they pass out of the enclosure 17. Formed in the platform 16 at opposite sides of the booth and at the rear or inner end thereof are stalls 22 which for economy in space are disposed at acute angles to the side and end walls of the booth,

The said stalls 22 are separated by partitions 23 and at the outer end of each partition 23 is located a post 24:; the said posts 24 serving to support the outer portions of roofs 24: that overhan the stalls 22. The stalls 22 each of which is adapted to accommodate one automobile, are preferably numbered in regular sequence from 1 to 20, and in each booth and in each stall 22 is arranged a circuit maker and. breaker 25. Each of the said circuit makers and breakers 25 is electrically connected with a source of electric energy and one of the annunciators 15 so that incident to an automobile entering a particular stall 22, one of the annun'ciators 15 will indicate the number of the stall so as to apprise those in charge of the arrival of the automobile. When deemed desirable a buzzer may be included in the electric equipment so as to audibly indicate the arrival of each automobile, but this is not of the essence of my invention and I have therefore deemed it unnecessary to illustrate the said buzzer and its appurtenances. Located adjacent to the inner end of each of the stalls 22 is an indicator or annunciator 26. The said indicators or annunicators 26 are electrically connected with a'source of electric energy and a collection of push buttons 27 located within the enclosure 6, and it is the province of one of the attendants when the arrival of an automobile, in a particular stall is indicated by one of the annunciators 15, to press the button belonging to that stall so as to actuate the annunciator 26 and "inform the occupants of the automobile that their arrival is noted and that therefore their wants will be promptly filled.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that my novel booth is calculated to materially facilitate the serving of refreshments to motorists, and that the motorists may either remain in their cars to be served or else may conveniently enter the booth for the purpose of being served at one of the tables 13.

In order to economize in space, and avoid confusion of the patrons of the booth I provide the inclined tunnel 30 which is designed to extend longitudinally downward from a point outside of the enclosure 17 and preferably at the back thereof to the floor of the before mentioned chamber or room 8 below the main floor 1 of the booth. Through the said tunnel 30 refresh- .ments may be conveniently supplied to the said room 8, and from the room the prepared refreshments may be expeditiously and easily transferred to the enclosure 6 through the medium of the dumb waiters 7.

Notwithstanding the practical advantages of my improvement as set forth in the foregoing it will be readily noted that the improvement'is simple and inexpensive in construction, and is susceptible of being made ornamental in character With a view to enhancing-the natural beauty of parks and other locations.

It will beunderstood from the foregoing that the partitions 23 are of the same height as the main floor, and that the partitions 23 constitute walks. The said partitions form obstacles suflicient to compel the parking of cars in proper manner in" the stalls so that a wheel of each car may rest on the circuit maker in its respective stall. It will be noted in this connection that the view is uninterrupted from one end of each series of stalls to the other in order to enable drivers of cars to see ahead of them and around the corners in turning on the driveway.

No projecting roof is employed on the outside ofthe front wall of'the booth, the said front wall is to be a perpendicular wall clear of anything likely to obstruct the view of a sign which will preferably be employed at the top thereof.

Manifestly and desired number of stalls may be employed in the practice of my invention Without involving departure from the scope of the same as claimed. I

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, 1s:--

A refreshment booth for motorists comprising a platform having edge stalls for automobiles, annunicators located at a service point on the platform, and circuit closers one in the floor of each stall and electrically connected with a source of elctric energy and with one annunciator, said circuit closer being positioned to be operated by a'wheel of the automobile entering the respective stall to indicate the arrival of said automobile in the particular stall. I

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN K. HOCKADAY. 

